This thread will catalog all of the special non-magical gear we have allowed or created for the site over the years. I may fold in some of the magic items later as I get the time and energy, but the primary purpose is to list all of that cheap stuff your PC can get a hold of early on in his or her career.

HelmetsHelmets, due to their decidedly limited coverage, provide very little protection against most attacks. Where they come in handy, however, is in protecting against especially lucky or well-aimed blows to the head—even a glancing blow to the head can sometimes prove fatal, and anything that prevents such things from happening is certain to be prized by many adventurers.

To wear a helmet effectively, a character must be proficient with the appropriate light, medium, or heavy armor corresponding to the type of helmet. A helmet is considered armor for the purposes of classes and abilities that regulate its use (such as the monk and druid). Donning a helmet is a move action.

Helmet Qualities

Armor Bonus: Helmets provide an armor bonus to AC that stacks with normal armor, but applies only against rolls made to confirm a critical hit.Example: Amalric’s AC is 17 when he finds and decides to wear a great helm (+2 bonus). He is then attacked by an ogre, who rolls a total of 18 on his attack roll; this attack is successful, as it beats Amalric’s base AC of 17, and the helmet’s bonus does not affect normal blows. The following round, however, the ogre rolls a natural 20—a critical threat. The ogre then rolls a total of 18 again to confirm the critical, and fails, because Amalric’s AC against confirmation rolls is increased to 19 by the helmet. The ogre still hits, but the helmet turns the critical hit into a normal one; Amalric is concussed, not killed.

Armor Check Penalty: Certain types of helmets inhibit a wearer’s hearing and field of vision. Unlike with armor and shields, a helmet's armor check penalty applies to Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Helmets that have an armor check penalty, however, also provide a +1 bonus to saves against gaze attacks.Nonproficiency: As with armor, a character who wears a helmet with which he or she is not proficient also takes the helmet’s check penalty on attack rolls.

Arcane Spell Failure: Because many helmets inhibit the wearer’s ability to see and hear properly, spellcasters have the same types of issues with casting in a helmet as they do with casting in armor.

Helmet Types and Stats

Skullcap: This also includes other open-faced helms, such as the horned helms common among barbarians and giants, the capelines (also called "lobster pots") worn by many archer units, hoods made of tough hide or leather, and the samurai’s kabuto helmet. These are often very simple and mass-produced to help protect common soldiers from glancing blows, though some can become quite ornate as well. Better-made versions come with a tail-plate or mail coif to help protect the neck, and/or thin flaps to protect the ears or cheeks. A newly-purchased chain shirt comes with a skullcap.

Cost: 15 gp.

Proficiency Required: Light.

Armor Bonus: +1.

Check Penalty: +0.

Arcane Spell Failure: 5%.

Weight: 3 lb.

Great Helm: This very heavy helmet covers both the wearer’s head and face, often looking like nothing so much as a bucket with a thin slit for the wearer's eyes and possibly some air-holes over the mouth. It is usually worn with a gorget or mail coif (the latter more often with chainmail, the former with plate). A newly-purchased breastplate comes with a great helm.

Cost: 40 gp.

Proficiency Required: Medium.

Armor Bonus: +2.

Check Penalty: -2.

Arcane Spell Failure: 15%.

Weight: 7 lb.

Basinet: This helmet gives its wearer some flexibility, in the form of a hinged visor—with the visor down, it is identical to a great helm, but the visor can also be raised to let the wearer see and breathe more easily (at the cost of decreased protection). While the visor is up, the wearer suffers no penalty to Search or Spot checks, but the helmet only provides half its normal bonus against critical hits, and no bonus against gaze attacks. The visor can be flipped up or down as a swift action, so long as the wearer has a free hand. A newly-purchased suit of full plate comes with a basinet.

Cost: 75 gp.

Proficiency Required: Heavy.

Armor Bonus: +1/+2 (see above).

Check Penalty: +0/-2 (see above).

Arcane Spell Failure: 10%.

Weight: 5 lb.

Helmet Horns and Spikes: These are add-ons to the helmets listed above. A spiked or horned helmet counts as a simple two-handed weapon that deals double damage when used during a charge, but may only be used to attack on a charge, and always has a reach of 5 feet regardless of your size (unless you are Tiny or smaller). Helmet spikes cost 10 gp and have a base damage of 1d3; helmet horns cost 25 gp and have a base damage of 1d4. Both have a critical range and multiplier of 20/x2, and deal piercing damage.

Making a Helmet

Crafting Helmets: Helmets may be constructed by anyone using the Craft (armorsmithing) skill. The base DC to craft a helmet is 15 for a steel cap, 18 for a great helm, and 20 for a basinet. A masterwork helmet (see below) is always DC 20 to construct via the Craft skill.

Helmets can be made out of special materials, such as mithral and adamantine. They do not gain any armor-specific abilities granted by these materials, though: a mithral helm does not have a reduced check penalty or spell failure chance, and an adamantine helm does not provide any damage reduction.

Masterwork Helmets: Just as with weapons, armor, or shields, you can purchase or craft masterwork helmets. Such a well-made item functions like the normal version, except that it provides a +2 circumstance bonus to Concentration checks made to perform an action while taking damage. A masterwork helmet costs an extra 50 gp over and above the normal cost for that type of helmet. If a masterwork suit of armor normally comes with a helmet, that helmet is also considered masterwork.

Magic Helmets: Helmets, just like any other sort of item, can be made magical. Even though they are sold with armor and provide a (circumstantial) armor bonus to AC, making a helmet magical is covered by the Craft Wondrous Item feat. There are no armor enhancements available to improve the base statistics of a helmet.

While firearms are officially recognized as a part of FR canon, many people have their own opinions as to how prevalent they should be in the game. While some think they should be treated the same as any other item, available for immediate purchase by whoever has sufficient coin, others dislike the more modern flavor they bring to the proceedings and would see them made as rare as possible. Combined with the questions of how our specific setting would interact with them, and the DMs have a bit of a fine line to tread.

That said, the following reflects how we treat firearms in our game--what sorts of firearms we assume are being referred to, what people think of them ICly, how one gets a hold of them, and how one might make them:

Bomb: Lighting the fuse on a bomb is a move action. A bomb is a grenade-like weapon; a successful ranged touch attack against a specific square deals the listed damage to creatures in the target square and all adjacent squares (Reflex DC 15 half). The damage is half fire, half piercing. A creature failing its Reflex save is also deafened as if by a thunderstone.Bullets: These round lead pellets are sold in pouches of ten.Musket: Loading a musket is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, and requires two hands. Normally, operating a musket requires two hands. However, you can shoot a musket with one hand at a -4 penalty on attack rolls. You can shoot a musket with each hand, but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if attacking with two one-handed weapons. This penalty is cumulative with the penalty for one-handed firing.Pistol: Reloading a pistol is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, and requires two hands. A pistol can be fired with one hand. Smokepowder: This alchemical substance is similar to gunpowder. Burning smokepowder illuminates a 30-foot radius, and the fire lasts 1 round for every ounce of powder. It takes 1 ounce of smokepowder to shoot a firearm once. If smokepowder gets wet, it never again burns and cannot ever be used to fire a bullet. Smokepowder is sold in waterproof horns that hold 2 pounds (32 ounces) each, or small wooden kegs that hold 15 pounds (240 ounces) each.

Proficiency: Both pistols and muskets are considered exotic weapons. As a grenade-like weapon not unlike alchemist's fire, bombs require no proficiency to use.Rapid Reload and Firearms: Rapid Reload decreases the reload time of a firearm from a standard action to a move action that can be taken during movement (much like drawing a weapon). Reloading a firearm still provokes attacks of opportunity, and still requires two hands.

In-Character DetailsFor those who would consider themselves History Geeks (like myself), the assumption is that proper firearms have only been developed within the last couple of (human) generations; thus, the weapons currently in existence are of the relatively primitive matchlock variety, rather than flintlocks or wheel-locks. Masterwork variants are of the more advanced snap-lock variety.

For those who are not History Geeks, this means that the trigger is basically a lever or spring-loaded catch that holds an actual burning match--pulling the trigger lowers the match into a pan of smokepowder, which explodes--ideally forcing the little iron ball out the front of the weapon. (Snap-locks work a little differently: a spring-loaded piece of flint strikes across steel when the trigger is pulled, showering sparks into the powder pan.)

While these weapons are powerful engines of destruction, they also come with a number of drawbacks, some not mentioned in the DMG:

Because the powder pan is open, firearms do not function while exposed to moisture, such as during a rainstorm or within a few minutes of being submerged. Firearms exposed to moisture while loaded must be reloaded before use. A firearm can never be fired underwater.

Because firearms rely on a smoldering primer cord (the "match") for ignition, they can be detected by smell. A primed firearm is treated as a "strong scent" for the purposes of detection via the scent ability.

Both of the drawbacks above are ignored by masterwork muskets (though they still can't be fired underwater or after total immersion).

Smokepowder must be kept in watertight containers. It is ruined if it gets wet.

Firearms are not stealthy weapons. Bystanders may attempt a DC -10 Listen check to hear the sound of a firearm being discharged.

To those in Waterdeep, firearms are commonly viewed as exotic trinkets--though respected for their power and uniqueness, most common folk still prefer a trusty crossbow to the gnomish contraptions. Waterdhavian law treats firearms as any other weapon; they can be carried with no extra restrictions, but waving them around is as worthy of a Watch beatdown as waving around a sword or loaded crossbow.

In the Realms, firearms are most prevalent in Lantan (where they were invented), the Moonshae Isles, and the Sword Coast (particularly among the navies and privateers of Waterdeep and Luskan). Beyond these areas, they are still extremely rare, and almost always directly imported from one of the aforementioned regions. Luckily for you, Waterdeep is one of the few cities in Faerun where firearms are easily purchased.

Making Guns, Bombs, and PowderIf a PC wishes to make bombs or firearms for himself, he or she must meet the following conditions:

You must be from Waterdeep, Lantan, or the Moonshae Isles, or have made contact with a gunsmith IC (either another PC or via a successful Gather Info check). This denotes the opportunity to have learned the process of manufacture.

Constructing pistols or muskets requires Craft (weaponsmithing), with a Craft DC of 18. Like with other weapons, blacksmithing can be used if the crafter has at least 8 ranks in that specialty.

Constructing bullets also requires Craft (weaponsmithing) or Craft (blacksmithing), and no minimum rank limit exists for the latter. The Craft DC for bullets is 12. (And no, sling and pistol bullets are not the same.)

Constructing bombs requires Craft (weaponsmithing) or Craft (alchemy). Blacksmithing is not sufficiently specialized knowledge to construct a bomb. Bombs have a Craft DC of 20, but cannot be made without access to smokepowder (either by the crafter's own creation or procurement as part of raw materials; in either of these cases the cost of creation is not affected).

As per Magic of Faerun, smokepowder is considered a Wondrous Item, and requires CL 9th, the Craft Wondrous Item feat, and 9 ranks in Alchemy to create. It is crafted as a normal magic item, costing 12.5g and 1 XP to make 1 pound.

Firearms and their ammunition can be made masterwork or magical just as any other weapon can, using the same rules. Bombs, comparable to things like alchemist's fire in basic form and function, cannot be made magical.

Mundane JewelryIn the past, people have desired to purchase various items of jewelry with no real mechanical benefit, just stuff to make their characters look prettier. We have no qualms with this--whatever helps you get into your characters more is great by us--but there's no real guides in any of our allowed materials on exactly what this sort of stuff should cost.

Thus, we figured we'd post a quick reference on this--nothing major, just a list of jewelry pieces commonly found in the shops around town, and what they tend to go for. (This also lets people who can work with metal and stone know what they can make and for how much. People who make jewelry pay 50% of the cost in raw materials, note--precious metals and gems are normally trade goods, but conversion into jewelry does add a noticeable premium.)

The prices listed for each item on the chart assume an item made of copper; items made of other materials cost more. The bottom table is a list of the gemstones most commonly added to various items of jewelry; the listed costs represent an average, reasonably well-cut specimen of fair size; some particularly small or poorly-cut specimens may fall into the next category down, while larger, masterfully-cut specimens may fall into the next category up. See the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (p.300-1) for an excellent list of the various gemstones and how they look and are used in Faerun; many gemstones are widely believed to have medicinal or other effects by the common folk.

These sorts of items also include those most commonly made into magic items. Unlike weapons and armor, these items do not typically have to be "masterwork" in quality to be enhanced with magic, but rarely is that process done with any item worth less than 50 gp.

Base Item PricesListed prices assume each item is made of copper (or that its metal bits are, at least). See the Modifiers chart below for other materials.

Armband: 15 cp

Broad Belt: 6 cp

Bracelet: 2 sp

Brooch: 45 cp

Circlet or Tiara: 10 sp

Crown: 12 sp

Earrings: 2 sp

Headband: 4 sp

Holy Symbol: 25 sp

Locket: 25 cp

Necklace: 5 sp

Pendant: 45 cp

Ring: 3 sp

Torc: 5 sp

Material Cost Modifiers

Bone, Coral, Stone, or Wood: x1/5

Copper: x1

Bronze: x2

Steel: x3

Silver: x10

Gold: x100

Glass-Steel or Living Metal: x200

Blue Ice: x800

Mithral or Platinum: x1000

Adamantine: x1500

Commonly Added GemstonesPrices are approximate, and vary based on the size and quality of the gemstone, though value will very rarely range beyond the next band up or down for a particular type of gemstone.

A major item of most adventurers' inventories, even in a game like this that tends to be centrally localized, is the mount. It's the way to get around outside the city, and even within the city walking from one end to the other is at least an hour on foot--and why flag a rickshaw when you have your own mount? As such, many people wind up investing a fair bit of personality in their mounts, especially for those classes that use or rely on horses (or dogs) a great deal, and it seems like a good idea to present some information on the sorts of mounts common to this area.

Note:Champions of Valor has a wealth of information on the various types of mounts to be found in Faerun. Not all of that information will be reproduced here, but it forms the basis of the information presented below. For those that do have that book, if you want one of the special breeds that isn't discussed below, the price is five times the figure listed in that book unless you can ICly arrange to have the horse imported...the subject of a greater undertaking than most of our characters have ever known.)

Most equine mounts are identical in price and statistics to one of the types presented in the Player's Handbook and Monster Manual (light horse, light warhorse, heavy horse, heavy warhorse, pony, and warpony), though there are a few particular breeds that are more perfected than others of their type, and widely sought after as a result. They are differentiated within each type mostly by appearance and region. Horses, ponies, and dogs are considered trade goods; they can be bought and sold for the same price.

Light HorsesThe light horse is the most commonly available type of horse in this area. It is the type of choice for couriers and messengers, recreational riders, and for pulling carriages. The common breeds sell for 75 gp, a price that usually includes a bit and bridle, but not a saddle or harness. Statistics for common breeds of this type are found on page 273 of the Monster Manual.

A light horse is usually trained for Riding, and this is the most common purpose for which they are employed (though light horses trained for Heavy Labor or Performance are available for the same price). A light horse can also be trained for other purposes, including Combat Riding.

Common Breeds

The Baldurian Riding Horse originates from Baldur's Gate. It is a tall, rangy animal, usually bay or dark bay in color, bred for long rides over the generally flat terrain of the Western Heartlands.

The Esmel Long Rider is a sand- or white-colored breed, sometimes spotted, of medium size and great endurance. It is a desert breed popular in Anauroch, not often seen on the Sword Coast.

The Fox Trotter appears widely throughout the temperate regions of the Heartlands and Sword Coast; it is usually copper-colored with white markings, though some are actually the opposite. Commonly used by hunters and animal herders, it is friendly and intelligent, and also popular with rangers.

The Mucklestone originates from a village in the Great Dale, and appears less commonly in markets of the North. It is a short, powerful breed, grey or chestnut in color, that is easily trained.

Highly-Sought Breeds

The Amphail Grey is a loyal and hardy breed originating from a series of farms north of Waterdeep. It is an unremarkable-looking horse of dappled grey that makes a good herding and hunting animal, and sells for about 225 gp.Amphail Grey: As light horse, except +2 Con, +2 Wis, +2 Cha.

The Chionthar, also known as the Reaching or the Cormyte, is common in Cormyr and the Western Heartlands, and is not hard to find as far north as Everlund. It is a brown, black, or grey horse known for its strength and great speed, is greatly prized by messengers and travelers, and can be found for around 200 gp.Chionthar: As light horse, except speed 70 feet, +2 Str, -2 Wis. The rider of a Chionthar gains a +1 bonus to Ride checks.

The Nesmean Riding Horse originates from the village of Nesme to the west, but it is rare these days, its numbers tragically decimated by attacks from giants and trolls. They are short, sturdy animals that make good work horses, bred for power and to thrive in the harsh Northern winters. They are usually white or brown with white markings, their hair coarser and heavier than the norm. In the Marches, North, and Sword Coast, a Nesmean sells for about 300 gp. Kaeldrith Wands breeds these horses, and while he rarely has any for sale, he will sometimes part with one to a good-aligned owner for 250 gp.Nesmean: As light horse, except +2 Str, +2 Con, +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves to resist the effects of exposure to cold weather.

Heavy HorsesThe heavy horse is somewhat less common than the light horse, but still widely available in many varieties. It is the type of choice for cart-pulling, plowing, and other tasks requiring large beasts of burden. The common breeds sell for 200 gp, a price that also usually includes a bit and bridle, but not a saddle or harness. Statistics for common breeds of this type are found on page 273 of the Monster Manual.

A heavy horse is usually trained for Heavy Labor, but those trained for Riding are not particularly rare, and are available for the same price. A heavy horse can also be trained for other purposes, including Combat Riding.

Common Breeds

The Amphailan originates from the same area as the Amphail Grey light horse, but is less common and not quite so highly sought-after. It is a sturdy breed, bay or black in color, known for its intelligence and relative ease of training.

The Cream Draft originates in Amn, but has slowly spread north and east, and is fairly common in the Heartlands and places south. This sandy-colored breed is slimmer and lighter than most, skilled at traveling in harsh environments and going long periods with little food.

The Phlan Cart Horse can be found all over Faerun, and is one of the most common breeds of horse in existence. It is sturdy, dependable, and laid-back, but also rather dim, and is rarely used for anything other than simple labor.

Tendal's Breed originated in the Dalelands, but is now commonly found in Cormyr and the Sword Coast as well. Dark bay or black in color, it is the most commonly used heavy horse for riding, and is surprisingly easy to train for combat, though not designed or bred for it.

Highly-Sought Breeds

The Kromlor originates from Longsaddle, and is popular as far south as Baldur's Gate and as far north as Sundabar. Black, bay, or brown in color, it is an enormous and feisty creature used for farming and mining, though also a fair riding horse, and sells for 1,000 gp.Kromlor: As heavy horse, except +2 Str, +2 Con.

PoniesPonies are less common than either variety of horse, but are still more than common enough to meet the demand for them, given the much lower population of creatures sized to make proper use of them. Ponies are sort of the all-purpose beasts of burden for Small creatures, serving as mounts, work animals, and vehicle-pullers. The common breeds sell for 30 gp, a price that also usually includes a bit and bridle, but not a saddle or harness. Statistics for common breeds of this type are found on page 277 of the Monster Manual.

Ponies are usually trained for either Heavy Labor or Riding, though ponies trained for Performance are also common enough to be available for the same price. A pony can also be trained for other purposes, including Combat Riding.

Common Breeds

The Netheran is a homegrown breed from the Nether Mountains, and the most common type of pony by far in the Marches. It is chestnut, bay, or black in color, stout and sturdy, and while it excels in no particular task, it is easy to train for nearly anything.

The Sunrise is a desert breed common in Anauroch and the deserts of Amn and Calimshan, but the endurance of this feisty white-dappled pony is also valued by the halflings of the Sword Coast.

Highly-Sought Breeds

The Dales Pony is sort of the mutt of ponies, with varied appearance tending towards piebald or skewbald coat. It originated in the Dalelands, and while this tough, intelligent, sure-footed pony is much sought-after across Faerun, it is hard to find this far west; it costs about 120 gp in the Dales and Moonsea, but to procure one in Waterdeep will run a full 250 gp.Dales Pony: As pony, except +2 Con, +2 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, and Jump. The rider of a Dales Pony gains a +1 bonus to Ride checks, and Handle Animal checks against it gain a +2 bonus.

Light WarhorsesAs the light horse is the most common type of mount on the Sword Coast, so too is the light warhorse the default choice for those looking for a steady mount in combat. There are actually several breeds of light warhorse, and the most common of such sell for 150 gp, a price that usually includes a bit, bridle, and riding saddle, but not a more specialized saddle or any other equipment. Statistics for common breeds of this type are found on page 274 of the Monster Manual.

Light warhorses are always trained for Combat Riding, though some can be taught specialized tricks on the request of purchasers instead of the standard Combat Riding slate; common alternate tricks are Hide, Track, or Attack 2.

Common Breeds

The Duskwood Skewbald comes from lands far to the south, but was brought to the Heartlands and Cormyr long ago, and adapted surprisingly well to the more temperate climate. This grey or black horse with white markings is long and rangy, bred for its quickness and endurance over long journeys through flat, open country; the Baldurian riding horse is probably a tamer version of this breed.

The Emberhawk is known for its unusually-colored coat, a shade of dark copper that is almost claret, with black (or occasionally white) markings. Believed to come from the Dragon Coast but now spread far and wide, this is a breed known for having intelligence and aggression in equal volume, notoriously hard to train but loyal and skillful once it is.

The Golden Trotter is a squat, sturdy horse with a gold or chestnut coat that is common in both the North and the Heartlands. As intelligent as the Emberhawk, it is much more laid-back and easier to train, bred for power and sprinting speed.

The Thayan Black is only seen in cities with Thayan enclaves or populations of men from that country. This pure black breed is large and powerful, with long pointed ears and harmless but wicked-looking bone spurs, and there are rumors that the Thayans are attempting to use magical experimentation to improve the breed.

Highly-Sought Breeds

The Calimite is a popular breed in Anauroch (though it originated in Calimshan, and is not overly common in the maritime climes of the Sword Coast), known for great speed, endurance, and pure breeding. It can be chestnut, bay, black, or grey, and is particularly beautiful. It is also in great demand across Faerun; a single horse averages as much as 1,650 gp, and buyers in this region will pay every copper of that.Calimite: As light warhorse, except speed 70 feet, +2 Con.

Heavy WarhorsesIn the North, the heavy warhorse is very nearly as common as its light cousin, and much more common than in many other places; the Knights in Silver, in particular, are known to favor the heavy warhorse. The common breeds of heavy warhorse sell for 400 gp, a price that usually includes a bit, bridle, and riding saddle, but not a more specialized saddle or any other equipment. Statistics for common breeds of this type are found on page 274 of the Monster Manual.

Heavy warhorses are trained for exactly the same purposes as light warhorses, including the common variant tricks.

Common Breeds

The Amphailan Black Charger is the even larger cousin of the Amphailan heavy horse; pure black in color, it is aggressive in combat and hard to train and control, but quite powerful.

The Ostorian was first bred on the Great Glacier, before gradually migrating west across the High Ice to the North, and is the most commonly used horse of the Knights in Silver in the Marches. It is white or grey, sometimes with black markings, and is a hardy and cunning breed with a prominent streak of mischievousness.

Highly-Sought Breeds

The Cormyrean Destrier is quite simply the finest warhorse in all Faerun, and the Forest Kingdom imports only a few to the Sword Coast each year from ranches just outside Arabel, where they thrive easily. It is very strong and intelligent, with a heavy coat of bay, brown, or black, and is easily the largest breed of its type on the continent. And for the low, low price of 2,500 gp, you too can own one.Cormyrean Destrier: As heavy warhorse, except +2 Str, +2 Wis. The rider of a Cormyrean Destrier gains a +1 bonus to Ride checks.

WarponiesThe small races are not particularly given to warlike societies, even less given to organized cavalry units, and those that do exist seem to prefer the riding dog to the warpony. The streets of Waterdeep are more conducive in some ways to pony mounts, however, making them a bit more common (and thus a bit cheaper) than a comparable dog; the most common breed of warpony sells for 100 gp, a price that usually includes a bit, bridle, and riding saddle, but not a more specialized saddle or any other equipment. Statistics for the common breed of this type are found on page 277 of the Monster Manual.

Warponies are trained for exactly the same purposes as light warhorses, including the common variant tricks.

Common Breeds

The Sunset originates in the western mountain range in Cormyr with the same name. It is slightly larger than a standard pony, with a brown or bay coat, a solid but unspectacular breed whose primary attraction is its amazing stubbornness and bravery in the face of danger.

Highly-Sought Breeds

The Whiteshield Pony is a thick, muscular little pony prized greatly by the dwarves of the Citadels, as it is strong enough to support even fully-armored dwarven fighters. It has a cream-colored winter coat and a dark brown summer coat, but both feature a white shield-shaped mark on the forehead. Dwarves of the North can purchase this breed for as little as 200 gp, but non-dwarves and those as far south as Waterdeep can expect to pay around 500 gp if they can convince the dwarves to sell them one at all.Whiteshield Pony: As war pony, except +2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Wis, -2 Cha.

Riding DogsWhile in many places halflings and gnomes seeking war-trained mounts prefer riding dogs, on the hard and debris-strewn streets of the city does the pony finds its natural home. Given that, war-trained dogs command a bit of a premium in Waterdeep; the most common riding dogs sell for the same price as a light warhorse, 150 gp, which usually includes a bit, bridle, and riding saddle, but not a more specialized saddle or any other equipment. Statistics for common breeds of this type are found on page 272 of the Monster Manual.

Riding dogs are always trained for Combat Riding, though some can be found with the same variant tricks as light warhorses.

Common Breeds

The Heartland Shepherd is a stout, long-haired dog of white and brown, first bred in the Western Heartlands as a sheepdog. Extremely attractive and intelligent, this is a solid breed known for its fierce loyalty. It is extremely popular throughout the Heartlands and Sword Coast for its initial purpose, and as such is the most common canine mount of small riders in this region.

The Baldurian Tracker is a tall, heavy dog, brown or black and tan in color, known for its extremely gentle and fastiduous disposition, as well as its endurance and keen sense of smell. It originated from the forests and hills around Baldur's Gate, and is still most common in that area and along the Sword Coast.

Highly-Sought Breeds

The Sundabarian Brabanter was originally a hunting dog that has, over the years, also come to be used as a small mount. Stocky and short-haired, with very heavy jaws and a brown coat with white underside, this breed makes a loyal and alert (if somewhat headstrong) mount, skilled at travel over long distances as well as bringing opponents to bay. This breed is fairly rare this far south, however, and will run as much as 250 gp to potential buyers.Sundabarian Brabanter: As riding dog, except +2 Str, +1 racial bonus to Listen and Spot, and +1 racial bonus to Trip attempts.

War MastiffsThe canine equivalent of the heavy warhorse, the war mastiff is bred for a single purpose, as befitting its name: to carry riders into battle, and fight in concert with them against much larger foes. Dogs trained for this purpose are rather rare, and are almost exclusively used by halflings. War mastiffs generally sell for the same price as a heavy warhorse, 400 gp, which usually includes a bit, bridle, and riding saddle, but not a more specialized saddle or any other equipment. Statistics for "common" breeds of this type are found on page 157 of Heroes of Battle.

War mastiffs are trained for exactly the same purposes as riding dogs, including the common variant tricks. Though not listed in the SRD as an option, a halfling or gnome paladin may select a war mastiff as a special mount.

Common Breeds

The Cormyrean Molosser is the most common type of war mastiff in Faerun, bred in the same say was the Cormyrean destrier, and perceived as having the same pedigree. The Molosser is a massive breed, weighing as much as an adult human, with a thick coat of tan and white and extremely solid build. It is courageous, perceptive, and extremely loyal, but not quite as bright as some breeds.

The Icespear Sled Dog is known primarily for its wolf-like coat (usually grey-and-white, though copper-and-white and black-and-white can be found) and pale blue eyes. First bred in the mountains near the Icespear River, primarily as a working dog, it has come to be very popular in the Marches--especially in the Spine and the Nethers. They can be loyal and affectionate, and are very bright, but are also hard to train, and have a strong hunting drive that can be hard to control.

Highly-Sought BreedsThere are no special breeds of war mastiff typically available for sale in this corner of Faerun.

Sidebar: Real-World Counterparts wrote:For the sake of allowing people to picture the described breeds, the following are the real-world breeds on which I based the fictional dog breeds described above:

Heartlands Shepherd: Collie.

Baldurian Tracker: Bloodhound, though it could also describe a small Newfoundland.

Sundabarian Brabanter: Boxer.

Cormyrean Molosser: Bull mastiff.

Icespear Sled Dog: Siberian Husky or Alaskan Malamute.

Both appearances and temperaments are pretty much the same in both the real-world and FR, though I've taken some license in spots.

Riding the Strange and BizarreThe below are some of the more exotic or just plain strange mounts available for use in this game. Some are fit for polite company, others are not. None of the prices indicated below include any sort of equipment; all of that must be purchased separately.

More exotic mounts may eventually be added to this listing. In the meantime, ask the DMs if a particular creature not listed here is suitable as a mount; many creatures are not.

Undead MountsAny of the other creatures listed above can be made into an undead mount with some ease. The drawbacks are obvious: your mount is evil, other animals are generally terrified of it (unless every mount in a given party is undead, you may get stuck riding at a safe distance like you're diseased or something), and most civilized folk won't stand to be near it (or you, more often than not). And if you have a cleric in the party, your mount may be dust before the adventure is done.

Many of the benefits, however, are equally obvious: an undead mount never tires, doesn't need food, drink, or sleep, can see in the dark, is immune to fear and many other conditions, and is generally sturdier than its living equivalent. If your mount is skeletal (the most common kind), it is also mindless--you can't train such a creature to perform tricks, but it is utterly obedient, and will follow simple commands (roughly ten words or less) without hesitation (and without Handle Animal checks).

Common Undead Mounts

Skeletal Mounts are by far the most common kind of undead mounts. These are created via the animate dead spell, which costs 50 gp per Hit Die of the living mount to be re-animated. Having a cleric cast the spell for you runs an additional 150 gp, while having a wizard cast the spell for you runs an additional 280 gp; all of the above costs are in addition to whatever you pay for the living mount to begin with.Skeletal Mount: As base mount, except d12 HD, no Con or Int score, +2 Dex, Wis 10, Cha 1, +2 natural armor, immunity to cold, undead traits, and DR 5/bludgeoning. Skeletal mounts have no skills, no feats except Improved Initiative, no special attacks, and no special qualities except those listed above. Skeletal mounts have good Will saves, and BAB equal to 1/2 HD. If it could fly before, a skeletal mount loses that ability.

Zombie Mounts, due to their extreme slowness, awful smell, and ungainly movement, are much less common. They are created in the same way as skeletal mounts, for the same costs.Zombie Mount: As base mount, except d12 HD (and HD are doubled), no Con or Int score, +2 Str, -2 Dex, Wis 10, Cha 1, +2 natural armor (+3 if mount is Large), undead traits, and DR 5/slashing. Zombie mounts have no skills, no feats except Toughness, no special attacks, and no special qualities. Zombie mounts have good Will saves, and BAB equal to 1/2 HD. If it could fly before, its maneuverability is Clumsy. A Zombie Mount can make only a single move or attack action each round.

Greater Undead Mounts (ghouls, wights, etc.) are exceedingly rare, and are not available for purchase. If you want one of these, you'll need to learn magic and make it yourself, or find an evil-but-generous PC who can do the same. Too many people remember the last time someone decided a dread wraith wyvern would make an awesome mount...

Camels and Riding LizardsNot as common as horses, camels and riding lizards are favored for their adaptations for certain environments. Camels, obviously, are very popular in desert regions such as Mulhorand and Anauroch, as they can survive in far harsher conditions than the equivalent horse. Riding lizards are popular among the Underdark races due to their ability to climb along walls and ceilings, but are uncommon sights on the surface once you venture towards the north. (As mundane reptiles, they do not adapt well to cold climate.)

Training a Camel/Riding Lizard: As normal domesticated animals, camels and riding lizards are trained just like horses.

Purchasing a Trainer's Services: A professional trainer charges the same amount (and takes the same amount of time) to rear a camel as s/he does a horse. Surface-living animal trainers charge double to charge a riding lizard, but take the same amount of time.

Market Price: A dromedary camel is 75 gp, while its two-humped equivalent is 100 gp, and a war camel costs 450 gp. A riding lizard costs 1,300 gp.

Special Equipment: Camels and riding lizards require no special equipment.

Riding Notes: Camels and riding lizards are both Large, and thus suitable as mounts for Medium creatures. Their light load limit is 300 pounds, their medium load limit is 600 pounds, and their heavy load limit is 900 pounds. A riding lizard's light load limit (the maximum load with which they can utilize their Climb speed) is 233 pounds, their medium load limit is 466 pounds, and their heavy load limit is 700 pounds.

Statistics: See the Monster Manual for camels; the listed statistics are for a dromedary camel, while a two-humped camel requires minor adjustments described in the text. War camels are in Sandstorm. For riding lizards, see Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting p.308, with 3.5 updates in the PGtF web enhancement.

Giant Ravens, Dire BatsThese horse-sized ravens are quite common among the Black Raven Uthgardt tribe of the Spine and northern Nethers. They are rather less common among the civilized peoples of the North, and very rare further south. As such, they fetch a hefty price tag, though they are more common than (and not quite as highly prized as) many other winged beasts. Giant ravens are extremely intelligent, but very willful and mischievous, and prone to crude practical jokes. Dire Bats are more prevalent in southern climes and among those Underdark races venturing to the surface; they are slower and far less intelligent, but more robust.

Training a Giant Raven/Dire Bat: Requires a DC 23 Handle Animal check to train a young or rear a hatchling, or DC 28 Handle Animal check to train an adult. (Black Raven Uthgardt gain a +4 bonus.) The animal must be friendly towards the trainer (a Diplomacy check can achieve this for ravens, or Handle Animal for bats).

Purchasing a Trainer's Services: A professional trainer charges 1,000 gp to rear and/or train a giant raven or dire bat. It takes six months to rear either animal from hatching to the point at which it is ready to train. It takes six weeks to train a giant raven or dire bat.

Special Equipment: Riding a giant raven or dire bat requires an exotic saddle.

Riding Notes: Giant ravens and dire bats are Large, and thus suitable as mounts for Medium creatures. Their light load limit is 150 pounds, their medium load limit is 300 pounds, and their heavy load limit is 450 pounds, but neither can fly with a heavy load.

Statistics: See Silver Marches p.121. A giant raven is a magical beast, not an animal. Giant ravens understand Common, but do not speak.

Giant Eagles, Giant OwlsThese giant, majestic birds are highly prized, though one must be careful in procuring one, as many dealers are rather unscrupulous in how they gather their "wares." They are quite rare, and priced accordingly, but are often considered a sign of status among those fortunate enough to procure one--and are invariably well-cared for. Eagles are more common in the Sword Mountains and points immediately nearby, where owls are more common in Ardeep and the other thickly-forested areas of the region. Both eagles and owls are as intelligent as the giant raven, but more serious-minded.

Purchasing a Trainer's Services: A professional trainer charges 1,000 gp to rear and/or train a giant eagle or owl. It takes six months to rear a giant eagle or owl from hatching to the point at which it is ready to train. It takes six weeks to train a giant eagle or owl.

Market Price: A giant eagle egg or giant owl egg costs 2,500 gp, and takes six months to hatch and grow large enough to train (and must be reared during this time). A young (reared) giant eagle or owl is worth 4,000 gp. A fully-trained adult giant eagle or owl costs 7,000 gp.

Special Equipment: Riding a giant eagle or giant owl requires an exotic saddle.

Riding Notes: Both giant eagles and owls are Large, and thus suitable as a mount for Medium creatures. Their light load limits are 300 pounds, their medium load limits are 600 pounds, and their heavy load limits are 900 pounds, but they cannot fly with a heavy load.

Statistics: See the Monster Manual. Giant eagles and owls are both magical beasts, not animals. Both speak Common; eagles also speak Auran, while Owls speak Sylvan.

Griffons and HippogriffsIn the City of Splendors, the magical hyrbid-beasts Hippogriffs and Griffons are more highly valued than giant eagles, owls, or even pegasi--as the official mount of the famed Griffon cavalry and featured on the emblem of the city's silver coinage, in many ways the regal griffon is the mascot of Waterdeep. Though not as intelligent as the giant birds, the griffon is a fearsome foe in battle (mounted or otherwise), while the hippogriff is prized as a cheaper combat-ready substitute that comes with a shorter learning curve for inexperienced aerial riders--essentially a flying warhorse with a beak and claws.

Training a Griffon/Hippogriff: Requires a DC 25 Handle Animal check. The animal must be friendly towards the trainer (a Diplomacy check can achieve this for griffons, or Handle Animal for hippogriffs).

Purchasing a Trainer's Services: A professional trainer charges 1,000 gp to rear and/or train a hippogriff, and 1,500 gp to rear or train a griffon. It takes six months to rear a griffon or hippogriff from hatching to the point at which it is ready to train. It takes six weeks to train a griffon or hippogriff.

Special Equipment: Riding a griffon or hippogriff requires an exotic saddle.

Riding Notes: Both griffons and hippogriffs are Large, and thus suitable as a mount for Medium creatures. Their light load limits are 300 pounds, their medium load limits are 600 pounds, and their heavy load limits are 900 pounds, but they cannot fly with a heavy load.

Statistics: See the Monster Manual. Griffons and hippogriffs are both magical beasts, not animals. Hippogriffs neither speak nor understand language. Griffons do not speak, but understand Common.

NightmaresThese horrific black horses are strictly the purview of evil riders, usually blackguards or clerics. Intelligent, wicked, and almost completely untamable, they are also not for sale in any civilized place in Faerun, and no city in the region will allow one in its midst (necessitating other stabling arrangements).

Training a Nightmare: There is no such thing as training a nightmare. It is more intelligent than the average human, and is capable of following any instructions given--but only does so if it feels like it. Technically, a DC 40 Handle Animal check made against a friendly nightmare (which, despite the oxymoron, can be achieved with a Diplomacy check) can train it to follow certain commands without its usual recalcitrance.

Purchasing a Trainer's Services: Usually impossible; only a few trainers in existence have the skill to work with a nightmare, and fewer still of those would be willing to do so for any price.

Market Price: None. One must find such a beast on his or her own, then convince it to bear a rider willingly (a Diplomacy check can achieve this).

Special Equipment: None; a Nightmare uses a normal saddle.

Riding Notes: A nightmare is Large, and is thus suitable as a mount for Medium creatures. Its light load limit is 300 pounds, its medium load limit is 600 pounds, and its heavy load limit is 900 pounds. A nightmare can fly with a heavy load.

Statistics: See the Monster Manual. A nightmare is an outsider (evil, extraplanar), not an animal. Nightmares speak and understand Common and either Abyssal or Infernal.

PegasiThese brilliant white horses are in many ways the mirror image of a nightmare, and are highly prized among many paladin and clerical orders as mounts and servants. Rarely for sale, a pegasus is sometimes bestowed upon a particularly deserving servant of a deity by the higher ranks of their order, or sometimes even by a deity itself. Pegasi are highly loyal and trustworthy mounts, defending their masters to the death.

Purchasing a Trainer's Services: A professional trainer charges 1,000 gp to rear and/or train a pegasus. It takes six months to rear a pegasus from hatching to the point at which it is ready to train. It takes six weeks to train a pegasus. Once trained, a pegasus will serve a Good or Neutral master with total faithfulness for life, but no amount of training can convince it to follow an Evil master.

Riding Notes: A pegasus is Large, and is thus suitable as a mount for Medium creatures. Its light load limit is 300 pounds, its medium load limit is 600 pounds, and its heavy load limit is 900 pounds, but pegasi cannot fly with a heavy load.

Statistics: See the Monster Manual. A pegasus is a magical beast, not an animal. Pegasi do not speak, but understand Common.

Brass SteedsNo one quite knows if these clockwork constructs come from Lantan, Halruaa, or even remnants of the old Netherese civilization. But there is no disputing that these brass-bodied draft horses are immensely powerful, never tire, and extremely potent in combat. They are unintelligent, making them difficult to command, but also totally fearless and obedient--much like skeletal mounts. They are quite rare, and grotesquely expensive, but many believe they are worth every copper.

Training a Brass Steed: Brass steeds are unintelligent, and cannot be trained. They will simply follow any simple command of 10 words or less without hesitation.

Riding Notes: A brass steed is Large, and is thus suitable as a mount for Medium creatures. Its light load limit is 600 pounds, its medium load limit is 1,200 pounds, and its heavy load limit is 1,800 pounds.

Statistics: See Heroes of Battle p.154. A brass steed is a construct, not an animal.

Sidebar: Training a Mount wrote:Training a MountAlmost all mounts come trained for a particular purpose, one of a list noted in the description of the Handle Animal skill (Player's Handbook, p.74); in the description of each type of mount above, I mentioned the purposes to which each type of animal is most commonly trained. Purposes are collections of tricks known by a given animal; any purpose that includes the trick Attack is considered combat-trained and will not generally panic when attacked, though for best results when controlling a mount in combat, you should have it trained for Combat Riding.

You can train an animal to a different purpose, or hire someone else to do the same. Training an animal to a particular purpose requires a Handle Animal check (DC 15 or 20) and one week per trick involved in that purpose; PCs involved in training an animal cannot adventure during the training in such a way as to interupt this process, or it will have to be started over again. Hiring someone else to train the animal costs 5 gp per week for a DC 15 purpose, or 10 gp per week for a DC 20 purpose; the most common hire-job, "upgrading" a normal horse trained for Riding to a horse trained for Combat Riding, thus costs 30 gp (as it requires three weeks). Note that if your mount is a magical beast, the DC of all Handle Animal checks made against it increase by +5, and the cost to hire a trainer is doubled (if the trainer is capable of working with it at all).

Note that training a normal horse for Combat Riding does not make it a warhorse! Warhorses are different breeds entirely, bred over generations for combat-desireable traits and personalities. A horse trained for Combat Riding is brave in combat like a warhorse, but is otherwise identical to a normal specimen of its type.

You can also train an animal to perform individual tricks, even if it is already trained to a given purpose; if the creature already knows the maximum number of tricks (three at Int 1, six at Int 2), however, one will have to be 'forgotten' (overwritten) for the new one to be learned, adding 5 to the DC (and cost; see below). If a mount trained for combat is ever made to forget the 'Attack' trick, it ceases to be brave in combat (even if it is a warhorse), and naturally flees from such situations.

Reaching a specific trick requires one week and a Handle Animal check (DC 15 or 20); hiring someone else to do the same costs 5 gp for a DC 15 trick, or 10 gp for a DC 20 check. Common tricks to add to a particular animal's repertoire include Hide, Track, or Attack II (which teaches the mount to attack any creature; normally it will only attack other animals, humanoids, monstrous humanoids, or giants, and teaching it otherwise requires it to already have the Attack trick).

Several books, such as Complete Adventurer and Stormwrack, contain additional animal tricks beyond those listed in the PHB, The below trick has also been added to the list of tricks available to teach:

New Trick - Hide (DC 20): The animal looks for cover and attempts to conceal itself as best it can. If you do not indicate a specific location with sufficient concealment, it looks for the closest appropriate location it can find.

Equipment for MountsThere are all manner of both mundane and magical items that can be procured for mounts, most of which are either to make it easier to control or protect it during combat--the latter in particular, since a dead mount can represent the loss of hundreds or even thousands of gold pieces.

Barding is a cheap and effective way to protect a mount. It is identical to the armor the rider might purchase for himself in everything but cost and weight; barding for a Large mount (horses) costs four times the same armor for a Medium PC, and weighs twice as much, but there is no additional cost or weight for Medium barding (such as for ponies or dogs). Medium or heavy armor affects a mount just like it does a PC, and heavy armor will fatigue a horse or pony if left on overnight (as will medium armor affect a riding dog in the same manner).

Barding can be made masterwork for the same cost (+150 gp), regardless of size, and has the same effect as normal armor (reducing the armor check penalty by 1). Masterwork barding can be made into magic barding using the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat, also for the normal cost; common enhancements for magic barding include increased AC and resistance to cold or fire.

Saddles are obviously necessary to ride a mount. The base type is a riding saddle, which costs 10 gp and comes with most warhorses and warponies. Other options include the military saddle for 20 gp (providing a +2 bonus on Ride checks to stay mounted and a greater chance to stay mounted if knocked unconscious), and masterwork versions of both the riding and military saddle, for 180 and 210 gp respectively (providing a +1 bonus to Ride checks, which stacks with the military saddle's bonuses). Saddles for exotic mounts are more expensive, as they have to accommodate the bizarre or unusual anatomy of the mount; exotic saddles can be for riding or military use, and can be masterwork, but all are triple the price of the equivalent saddle for a normal mount.

Masterwork saddles can be made into magic items by using the Craft Wondrous Item feat. Magic saddles take up the Belt slot on a mount. Common enhancements for these sorts of items include bonuses to Strength and Constitution, or Ride bonuses to the rider (which, as competence bonuses, stack with bonuses provided by the masterwork saddle already).

Warshoes are much heavier versions of standard horseshoes, weighted to be used in battle. They provide the same benefits as masterwork horseshoes, as well as increase the damage die of the horse's hoof attack by one size (1d3 to 1d4, 1d4 to 1d6, or 1d6 to 1d8), and cost 75g. For 675g, masterwork warshoes also provide a +1 enhancement bonus to both of the horse's hoof attacks.

Masterwork horseshoes can be made into magic items by using the Craft Wondrous Item feat (to make Wondrous Item-equivalents, usually based on speed), while masterwork warshoes are made magical with Craft Magic Arms/Armor (to give enhancements to the horse's attacks, but all enhancement costs are doubled, because the warshoes are effectively a double weapon).

Other sorts of magic items can also be placed on mounts, especially for those who wish to protect their mounts at any cost (including paladins and cavalry-types). The types of magic items that can be made for horses or similar mounts not discussed above include boots (for dogs only, usually enhance speed), collars (equate to necklaces, usually enhance natural armor or Wisdom, or protect from poison/disease), bridles (equate to helmets, usually enhance perception or protect against mental effects), and greaves (equate to bracers or gauntlets, usually enhance strength or bestow enhancements on hoof attacks). Mounts with Int 1 or Int 2 cannot activate command word items, nor can mounts incapable of speech, and their items cannot be activated by anyone else; this eliminates a fair number of possible items, but this also still leaves a great deal of room in which to work. Contingent Spells can also be placed on mounts, a concept which lends itself to a great many creative uses.

Description: A plain but flexible 10-foot pole aids in balance. It folds up into three segments when not in use.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Balance checks.

Special: This item requires 5 feet of clearance on either side of the user.

Manufacture: DC 15 Woodworking.

Cost: 5g.

Bluff: Generic Mantle (New)

Description: This thick, heavy cloth mantle covers the wearer's shoulders and arms, helping to obscure subtle movements. It comes with easily detachable heraldic patches, and is reversible between royal purple (to indicate importance, or even nobility) and grey (to blend into a crowd or indicate lack of importance).

Description: A full kit, including special pitons, boot-tips, gloves, and harness, that aids in climbing.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Climb checks.

Manufacture: DC 20 Blacksmithing.

Cost: 80g.

Concentration: Focusing Incense (New)

Description: These thin, reed-like sticks of incense emit a strong, long-lasting aroma when burned, which helps to clear the mind and fortify it against any distractions.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Concentration checks (stacks with a masterwork helmet; see Sidebar E).

Special: One kit is good for 10 uses. Each use of this item is effective for 24 hours. It takes 10 minutes of concentration while the incense burns to gain the benefits of this item (most spellcasters do so during their spell preparation period, as the durations can overlap).

Manufacture: DC 20 Alchemy.

Cost: 25g.

Craft (alchemy): Alchemist's Lab (PHB)

Description: A collection of beakers, bottles, chemicals, measuring tools, etc. that provides all the tools needed to make alchemicals.

Description: Items relevant to a particular craft, such as an armorer's tongs, a bowyer's knife, etc., all made with quality materials and the utmost craftsmanship.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to checks on any one Craft specialty, such as artistry or blacksmithing.

Manufacture: DC 20 (appropriate sub-skill).

Cost: 55g.

Decipher Script: Cypher Book (New)

Description: A small leather-bound pamphlet containing notes on common code systems, linguistic tendencies, and hints on how to recognize the meaning of a text by translating even small segments.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Decipher Script checks.

Manufacture: No check; 8 ranks in Decipher Script and two weeks of work required.

Cost: 50g.

Diplomacy: Tome of Negotiation (New)

Description: An average-looking book bound in stiff leather, this short book contains a series of tips and strategies for negotiating with others, including a chapter on common cultural niceties meant to help the reader avoid causing undue offense.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Diplomacy checks.

Special: To gain the bonus, the book must be present and available for reference; simply reading it once is not sufficient.

Manufacture: No check; 8 ranks in Diplomacy and two weeks of work required.

Description: A folded leather case with picks, skeleton keys, pries, a small saw and a hammer, all of extremely high quality.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Disable Device and Open Lock checks.

Special: Longspoon tools enable the user to stand 5 feet away and off to one side from the device in question, but add 2 rounds to the time required for the check.

Manufacture: DC 20 Blacksmithing or DC 20 Trapmaking; 8 ranks in Blacksmithing required to make these using that skill.

Cost: 100g (normal) or 150g (longspoon).

Disguise: Disguise Kit (PHB)

Description: A small box containing hair dyes, assorted cosmetics, and small physical props, as well as a tiny mirror.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Disguise checks.

Special: One kit is good for 10 uses.

Manufacture: DC 20 Artistry.

Cost: 50g.

Escape Artist: Grease Capsule Kit (New)

Description: A small bundle of thin leather capsules reeks of stale grease. The capsules can be affixed to the user's body in strategic places with an adhesive, then broken simply with wriggling or grinding when needed.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Escape Artist checks (does not stack with the grease spell) and checks made to escape a grapple or pin.

Special: One bundle is good for 10 uses. Applying the capsules takes 1 minute. Each use of this item is effective for 10 minutes after being triggered (a free action), after which the grease dries out.

Manufacture: DC 20 Alchemy.

Cost: 40g.

Forgery: Forgery Kit (Complete Adventurer)

Description: A small wooden case with a broad selection of paper types, pens, colored inks, and samples of crests and symbols.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Forgery checks.

Special: One kit is good for 10 uses.

Manufacture: DC 20 Artistry.

Cost: 40g.

Gather Information: Bribe Money (New)

Description: Bribery is such an ugly word, but a simple bag of gold pieces can grease the wheels better than any item, making people more eager to tell you just what you need to know. Even upstanding paladins who would frown on the very concept of bribery are usually open to a few gold pieces donated to their church...

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Gather Information checks.

Special: This is not an actual item, obviously, but simply gold, which must be paid out for each check. If Taking 20, it must be paid out twenty times.

Manufacture: This item is not manufactured.

Cost: Usually 5g, can be more at DM discretion (if the information being sought is particularly rare and/or important, for example).

Handle Animal: Animal Training Kit (Complete Adventurer)

Description: This kit includes signal whistles, special treats, a lasso-pole, and other gear designed to assist in animal training.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to Handle Animal checks made to teach tricks, train animals for a purpose, or rear a wild animal.

Manufacture: DC 20 Woodworking.

Cost: 75g.

Heal: Healer's Kit (PHB)

Description: A sturdy wooden box containing bandages, salves, and other materials to help in administering basic first aid, such as fashioning tourniquets, splints, field dressings and poultices.

Description: A bag of colored cloth, dyes, paints, and other accessories used for adapting one's appearance to the local surroundings; or a ragged cloak, snap-on fittings, and other items meant to blend into a particular environment type.

Special: The kit is good for 10 uses, and applying the kit takes 1 minute. The gear can be applied to any clothing or armor; switching gear from one outfit to another (or switching an outfit from one gear type to another) takes 1 hour and adds 2 pounds to the outfit's weight. An outfit can only have one type of camouflage gear attached at a time.

Manufacture: DC 20 Artistry.

Cost: 40g (kit) or 300 gp (armor).

Intimidate: War-Mask (New)

Description: A heavy steel mask that affixes to a helmet, brightly colored and shaped like a fearsome creature (such as a dragon or demon), hides your features and unnerves observers.

Description: This pair of light, supple leather boots is apparently elven-made, and of incredibly high quality. The boots' thick soles are studded with short metal spikes and ridges that increase traction and push for leaping, diving, and quick changes in direction.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Jump checks, and to Tumble checks made to tumble as part of normal movement or to entertain an audience. +2 circumstance to Tumble checks made to shorten the effective distance of a fall, so long as there is a wall within arm's reach (so the boots can catch and stick).

Special: This item can be magically enhanced as a normal pair of boots.

Description: A tome bound in cheap leather or thin wood, dog-eared and stained in places, with liberal handwritten notes in the margins. These sorts of books are usually written quickly and passed through many hands, as the most popular references in their specific areas.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to checks on any one Knowledge specialty. Some books provide a bonus to more than one specialty or skill; see below.

Special: To gain the bonus, the book must be present and available to reference; simply reading it once is not sufficient. Other specific books may provide the same bonuses, or more specific/situational bonuses, but the below are the most locally popular volumes. Untrained Knowledge checks are still limited to a result of 10 or less.

Manufacture: No check; 8 ranks in the appropriate Knowledge skill(s) and two weeks of work required.

Cost: Specified in each entry below.

[Arcana] "Magical Rites and Theorems," written in 660 DR by Ecamane Truesilver, the first High Mage of Silverymoon and founder of that city's first library and school of magic. This volume is filled with small, densely-worded text and many diagrams, and while parts are outdated, enough is still relevant to make the book much-sought by spellcasters of all levels. +2 to both Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft checks. Cost: 150 gp.

[Architecture/Engineering] "Structures and Fortifications," written in 1360 DR by Gunther Windermeir, now a Silvaeren general who made a name for himself as a Waterdhavian siege engineer long ago. This is a dry, highly technical manual bound in cheap leather, obscure but rarely sought. +2 to both Knowledge (architecture/engineering) and Profession (siege engineer) checks. Cost: 45g.

[Dungeoneering] "The Aspiring Explorer's Guide to Ruins of the North," written in 1368 DR by Xara Tantlor, proprietor of the Shining Scroll and an energetic seeker of relics and ruins. Cost: 40g (25g with any purchase from Steelmage Arms).

[Geography] "Compendium of Faerunian Flora and Fauna," written in unknown year by Lossarwyn of Cormanthor, a famous druid. Later chapters of this surprisingly rare book focus to a strange degree on natural poisons and diseases. +2 to both Knowledge (geography) and Knowledge (nature); +1 to Heal checks made to treat poison and disease. Cost: 110 gp.

[History] "Wars, Dynasties, and Kingdoms of the Great Continent," written in 1350 DR by Celas Myria, elven scribe and Keeper of Relics at the famed repository of knowledge in Candlekeep. This tome is heavy and thick, with an ornate wooden cover and evocative language. Cost: 40g.

[Local] "Chesmyr's Guides to Faerun," a series of thin, leather-bound volumes written in flowery but easy-to-understand text by the famous bard Chesmyr Morrowynd. These books are cheap, quick reads, updated every couple of years, and have been translated into nearly every language. Each book discusses one particular region, such as the Silver Marches or Waterdeep, and grants a +2 bonus to Knowledge (local) and Knowledge (nobility and royalty) checks regarding that specific region. Cost: 5g per book.

[Nature] See Knowledge (geography).

[Nobilty/Royalty] See Knowledge (local).

[Planes] "The Cosmology of Aeber-Toril," written in 1103 DR by Velius Planes-Walker, a renowned wizard who abruptly vanished while exploring a plane referred to only fleetingly in this thin, dryly-written book's final chapter: the Far Realm. Cost: 50g.

[Religion] "Pantheons and Divine Symbology of the Continent," written in 1314 DR by Oberon Greycastle, Silvaeren merchant and cleric of Deneir. This average-looking tome is written in spare, easy-to-understand language, and is surprisingly even-handed in its treatment of all the major religions. Unlike most volumes of this type, there is even a chapter on the "monstrous" pantheons, focused primarily on the deities of creatures native to the North. +2 bonus to Knowledge (religion) checks, +3 if the check is related to the churches of either Deneir or Oghma. Cost: 60g.

Listen: Listening Cone (Complete Adventurer, adapted)

Description: A hard, sturdy cone of horn or stiffened leather designed to amplify noise when held to the listener's ear.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to Listen checks made to hear an ongoing noise.

Manufacture: DC 16 Leatherworking.

Cost: 20g.

Move Silently: Muffling (Underdark, adapted)

Description: Metal mail is strung together with heavy thread, and joints are padded with velvet strips. Joints on leather are oiled with special unguents, and a thin lining beneath everything reduces the noise of shifting material.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Move Silently checks.

Special: This item must be added to a specific outfit or armor. Moving it to a different outfit/armor requires one week and a successful DC 20 Craft (armorsmithing) check; a trained armorer charges 50g for this service.

Manufacture: DC 20 Armorsmithing or DC 20 Leatherworking; 8 ranks in Leatherworking required to make these using that skill.

Description: An instrument of this quality, in addition to the higher-quality performance it enables, is also both a work of art and a mark of status.

Benefit: +2 circumstance bonus to the appropriate Perform specialty; a masterwork musical instrument gives a character with the bardic music ability special options.

Special: Each Perform specialty has one or more instruments that apply to it, and each instrument has a specific benefit it provides a character who uses it in the creation of bardic music. The specialties, their instruments, and special options are as follows:

[Acting] Actor's Coat and Emote Mask: An ornate, colorful mantle with a high collar and a dramatic-looking mask designed to draw attention and elicit emotional response. +1 to Perform for Fascinate, +1 save DC for Suggestion. Can be magically enhanced as a normal cloak.

[Comedy] Jester's Cap and Wand: An extremely strange-looking hat with bells and a little wand, both in bright, garish colors to make the wearer look comical. +1 to Inspire Courage bonus for charm/fear saves, +1 to Perform for Fascinate. Can be magically enhanced as a normal helmet/hat.

[Dance] Dancer's Shoes: This light pair of pretty, ornate shoes increases the wearer's mobility and grace. +1 effective bard level for all Bardic Music. Can be magically enhanced as a normal pair of boots.

[Keyboard] Concertina: A small accordian-like device popular among gnomes and those who like a good, jaunty tune. +1 to Inspire Courage bonus for charm/fear saves, +2 with 5 ranks in Perform (dance). Also allows the user to cast spells while performing bardic music, so long as the spell has no somatic, focus, or material components.

[Oratory] Storybook and Herb Necklace: A book of powerful epic poems and stories, and a necklace that emits faint, throat-soothing vapors. One extra target for Fascinate, +1 to Inspire Courage bonus for attack rolls.

[Percussion] Hand-Drum (a crude instrument popular amongst halflings, humans, dwarves, and orcs, but usually shunned by elves; +1 to Inspire Courage for damage, -1 for charm/fear saves), Tambourine (+1 to Inspire Courage for charm/fear saves, one extra target for Fascinate).

[Song] Song-Book and Herb Necklace: A book of popular, uplifting songs, and a necklace that emits faint, throat-soothing vapors. One extra target for Inspire Greatness, +1 to Inspire Courage bonus for charm/fear saves.

[String] Fiddle (+1 to Inspire Courage bonus for charm/fear saves, +2 with 5 ranks in Perform [dance]), Harp/Handharp (one extra target for Fascinate, Inspire Greatness), Lute (+1 effective bard level for all Bardic Music), Lyre (one extra target for Fascinate, Inspire Heroics), Mandolin or Yarting (Guitar) (+1 to Inspire Courage bonus for attack, -1 for damage and charm/fear saves). Each of these instruments also allows the user to cast spells while performing bardic music, so long as the spell has no somatic, focus, or material components.

[Weapon Drill] Masterwork Weapon: For the weapon driller, a flashy weapon with good balance is as close to an instrument as he needs. +1 to Inspire Courage for damage, -1 for charm/fear saves.

Description: These tools are highly varied, based on the profession in which they are being used, but all are of the highest quality.

Benefit: +2 circumstance on any one Profession specialty, such as bookkeeping, cooking, fishing, or tanning.

Manufacture: DC 20 (any sub-skill). [DM Note: This is for ease of record-keeping.]

Cost: 30g.

Ride: Masterwork Saddle, Riding or Military (Complete Adventurer)

Description: Made of sturdy but supple leather, this saddle is more comfortable and responsive than the normal variety.

Benefit: +1 circumstance to all Ride checks. This stacks with the military saddle's +2 bonus to Ride checks made to stay mounted.

Special: This item can be enhanced as a normal belt for a mount.

Manufacture: DC 20 Leatherworking.

Cost: 180g (riding) or 210g (military).

Search: Magnifying Glass (New)

Description: A well-carved glass lens, set in a metal frame with a handle, magnifies objects and sharpens details.

Benefit: +2 circumstance bonus to all Search checks.

Manufacture: DC 20 Stoneworking.

Cost: 100g.

Sense Motive: The Mysterious Item (New)

Description: A small trinket of mysterious origin and nature that sharpens one's perceptions of others and their actions. (Really, don't ask.)

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Sense Motive checks.

Manufacture: N/A.

Cost: 100g.

Sleight of Hand: Thieves' Gloves (New)

Description: This pair of gloves stretches to mid-forearm, and has removable pads on the tip of each finger with many very tiny metal barbs designed to catch and tug on small objects. A slim sheath is woven into the underside of the glove along the arm.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Sleight of Hand checks.

Special: This item can be magically enhanced as a normal pair of gloves.

Manufacture: DC 20 Artistry.

Cost: 60g.

Spellcraft: See Knowledge (arcana).

Spot: Glass Lenses (New)

Description: These finely-worked lenses, set into thin iron frames, can magnify and sharpen the outlines of objects both nearby and far away.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Spot checks.

Special: Both lenses must be intact and worn to be effective; wearing only one lens is disorienting, and those who do so suffer a -1 penalty on Spot checks and attack rolls. This item can be enhanced as a normal mask/pair of lenses.

Manufacture: DC 20 Stoneworking.

Cost: 100g.

Survival: Masterwork Map and Traveler's Kit (New)

Description: A detailed map on sturdy parchment done in waterproof ink; and a small bag with smelling salts to enhance one's sense of smell, a miniature wind vane and condensing glass, and other simple tools to aid in tracking and other various outdoor tasks.

Benefit: Respectively, +2 circumstance to Survival checks to avoid getting lost and natural hazards; and +2 circumstance to Survival checks to hunt/forage, to predict the weather, and to follow tracks.

Special: Each masterwork map covers only one particular region, such as Silver Marches or Spine of the World.

Manufacture: No check, 8 ranks in Survival and two weeks of work required (map); DC 20 Artistry, 8 ranks in Survival (kit).

Cost: 40g and 60g, respectively. Masterwork Maps covering regions far afield from where they are being bought may be more expensive.

Swim: Keel (Stormwrack)

Description: A tapered ridge running along the chest, back, and helmet of a suit of armor, or strapped to the wearer with buckles and straps.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Swim checks.

Special: A keel installed on a suit of armor cannot be removed; doing so adds 2 pounds to the armor's weight. Donning a non-armor-mounted keel takes 1 minute.

Description: A hand device consisting of a large red-purple gem with many intricate arcane inscriptions, set into an alchemically-treated silver ring-glove, worn on the palm of the hand. The gemstone aligns itself naturally with all sorts of magical devices, giving the user greater control over them.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Use Magic Device checks.

Special: This device is designed to be worn over any other type of glove.

Manufacture: DC 30 Alchemy.

Cost: 250g.

Use Rope: Silk Rope (PHB)

Description: A thin, supple length of silken rope is wound around a small wooden core that affixes to the user’s belt.

Benefit: +2 circumstance to all Use Rope checks.

Manufacture: DC 16 Leatherworking.

Cost: 10g per 50 feet.

"Oderint Dum Metuant" - Emperor Caligula

"Experience is not what happens to a man; It is what a man does with what happens to him." - Aldous Huxley

Adventurer's KitsThe following kits are available to make the process of buying your character's starting gear a little easier; when filling out your character sheet, you can simply write in one of these kits.

Do note the collective weight of these kits; your character can travel in relative comfort with an explorer's kit, but only if she's also bought a mule to haul it around with. Mechanically speaking, any character under Str 18 considers a full Explorer's Kit a medium load, and a character under Str 13 considers it heavy. A Greater Adventuer's Kit is likewise a medium load for anyone under Str 13, not including any armor worn or weapons carried. We're not huge on enforcing weight limits here, but we are into keeping people in the realm of reason, so be advised.

Note: A potion belt holds six potions, and allows the wearer to draw one per round as a free action. A bandoleer holds eight Tiny or smaller items, and works as per a potion belt.

Extra Note wrote:Additional commonly-desired items at creation are presented here for ease of reference. Their prices are not adjusted from the SRD.

Arcane Spellcasters: Spell Component Pouch - 5g

Bards: Basic Musical Instrument - 5g

Crafters: Artisans' Tools - 5g

Divine Spellcasters or the Especially Devout: Wooden Holy Symbol - 1g (Note: Followers of Lathander, as members of a rather...flashy church, will rarely be caught dead without at least a Copper Holy Symbol, for 5 gp, if not something even gaudier.)

Rogues, or anyone with the Open Lock/Disable Device skills: Thieves' Tools - 30g

Travelers: Waterdeep Map - 40g (Note: This item grants a +2 circumstance bonus to Survival checks made to discern direction or location while in the Waterdeep area. Maps of other reqions can be purchased as well; a map of The Sword Coast runs the same price, while maps of the High Forest, the Silver Marches, and the Western Heartlands run 60g. Regions further afield run even higher.)

Wizards: Spellbook - 15g

Elven BowsThese beautiful bows, made and used almost exclusively by elves, have been given solid metal inlays. This allows them to stand up to much more punishment than a normal bow, as well as allowing them to be used as crude melee or parrying weapons should the need arise. Elven bows have hardness 8 and 5 hit points. All elven bows are considered masterwork bows, gaining a +1 enhancement bonus to attack rolls.

Further, elven bows can be used in melee; an elven shortbow is a one-handed weapon that deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage, and an elven longbow is a two-handed weapon that deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage. The critical range with an elven bow used in melee is 20/x2. Note: The wielder does not gain any masterwork or enhancement bonuses when using the bow to attack in melee.

Crafting Requirements: Bowmaking DC 20. If the maker is not an elf or half-elf, at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (High Forest) or (Silver Marches) are also required, representing the knowledge of how the local elves make these items.Weight: Double the weight of a normal bow of the same type.Price: An elven shortbow costs 360 gp, or 450 gp for a composite version. An elven longbow costs 450 gp, or 500 gp for a composite version.Notes:

A composite elven longbow can be given a stronger pull (read: a higher Str bonus to damage) at the same cost as its respective base bow: 75 gp per point for a shortbow, or 100 gp per point for a longbow.

An elven bow can benefit from being made of mithral and darkwood together, but neither separately. Doing so reduces the weight of the bow by one-half, increases the bow's hardness to 10, and adds to the cost 260 gp per pound of the elven bow's normal weight.

An elven bow can be made of adamantine, since its primary striking surfaces in melee are made of metal; this increases the bow's hardness to 13 and hit points to 7, allows it to negate hardness when used in melee, and adds 3,000 gp to the cost.

Much of the above information is reprinted from an article by Thomas M. Costa on the Wizards of the Coast site, though some adaptation has also been made.